Plenary Talk at the 3rd CaBA Training Workshop (Slimbridge)

The Tamar PlanDeveloping a shared catchment vision

It provide us with….

– food and materials– energy / fuel– drinking water

It regulates….

– climate gases

– flooding & drought

It also gives us areas for….

– culture

– recreation

– habitat for wildlife

A catchment provides many Ecosystem Services

Many pressures act to reduce ecosystem health

Reduced ecosystem health impairs service provision

Heavily exploited ecosystem ‘Natural’ ecosystem

Provisioning services Regulating services Cultural services

Crops

Meat

Timber

Spaces for Wildlife

Recreation

Pest control

Water regulationWater purification

What services are we currently getting?

Developing a shared understanding

The Ecosystem Services Working Groups (1 – 5)

Water Quality: The provision of clean water into the aquatic environment for the benefit of river ecosystem health, recreational safety and drinking water supply.

Water Quantity: The regulation of water movement in the landscape to ensure that base-flows are maintained and to reduce the risk of flooding.

Space for Wildlife: The protection and enhancement of functional networks of habitat to support healthy wildlife populations and biodiversity at a landscape scale.

Carbon Sequestration: The regulation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases through land management.

Recreation, Leisure & Culture: The provision of accessible spaces and resources for recreation, leisure and cultural activities and to increase health and wellbeing.

A participatory stakeholder-led approach…

A participatory stakeholder-led approach…

What services do we get?

Are we getting enough?

What areas effect provision?

What can we do to provision?

Where should they be targeted?

How is it funded?

What are the outcomes?

Are the new sources of funding?

Developing a shared vision & a shared language

- Habitat creation- Landuse change- Farm

infrastructure- Best practice

advice

- Stewardship- Water Company- Biodiversity

offsetting- Flood Risk

- Research findings

- Spatial data- Monitoring- Reports & plans

Water Quality

Is there a problem…where is it experienced…?

Local ecological impacts

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Water Quality

Is there a problem…where is it experienced…?

Local ecological impacts

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Water Quality

Is there a problem…where is it experienced…?

Local ecological impacts

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Water Quality

Is there a problem…where is it experienced…?

Local ecological impacts

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Water Quality

Is there a problem…where is it experienced…?

Local ecological impacts

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Water Quality

Is there a problem…where is it experienced…?

Local ecological impacts

Distal ecological, social & economic impacts

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Water Quality

Is there a problem…where is it experienced…?

Local ecological impacts

Distal ecological, social & economic impacts

® Raw drinking water impacts

WFD: Article 7“…avoid deterioration in [water] quality to reduce the level of purification treatment

required in the production of drinking water.”

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Water Quality – point sources

The contribution of point sources of pollution

Variety of different pollutants

Many different sources

® Varying contributions in different locations

Ecosystem services: Water regulation & qualityThe water cycle is one of the fundamental processes we all depend on –

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Ecosystem services: Water regulation & qualityThe water cycle is one of the fundamental processes we all depend on –

Water regulation is dependent on - Direction of water movement: laterally or vertically

Rate of water movement / timing of release Interactions with contaminants

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Ecosystem services: Water regulation & qualityThe water cycle is one of the fundamental processes we all depend on –

Some land areas play a role in water regulation and water quality

- Innate characteristics- Condition/health

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Ecosystem services: Water regulation & purification

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INHERENT RISK

PR

AC

TIC

E

Source

Receptor

We want to understand why water quality is (or is not) degraded in certain locations…

+++ Importance/opportunity

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Ecosystem services: Water regulation & purification

Seasonally wet gley

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INHERENT RISK

PR

AC

TIC

E

Identifying areas of high importance/risk to water regulation

- Soil type & condition/practices

Free-draining brown earth

Gley with impeded drainage

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Natural habitat

Cultivated land

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INHERENT RISK

PR

AC

TIC

E

Permanent pasture

Ecosystem services: Water regulation & purificationIdentifying areas of high importance/risk to water regulation

- Landuse & practice (intensity of use)

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Direct connection to watercourse

Steeply sloping

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INHERENT RISK

PR

AC

TIC

E

Hydrologically connected

Ecosystem services: Water regulation & purificationIdentifying areas of high importance/risk to water regulation

- Location, topography & hydrological connectivity

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Water Quality

® Soil hydrology & condition• Run-off risk• Leaching risk

® Topography (i.e. slope)

® Hydrological connectivity • Proximity to watercourse• Flood plain• Surface & sub-surface flow accumulation

® Land cover • Natural habitats (wetland, woodland or peatland)• Farmed land (tillage or permanent grass)

The group identified land most likely to have an impact on water quality:

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Water Quality – diffuse sources

A well established toolbox of measures to reduce rural diffuse pollution

FloodingSpaces for

wildlife

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

DroughtCarbon sequestration

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Land value

Recreational resources

priority – opportunity – suitability – risk

Bringing it all together…

Multifunctional priority areas

Toolbox of interventions

Habitat creation

Landuse change

Farm infrastructure

Best practice advice

Integrated vision for the catchment

WIN-WIN“Provider

saves”

Delivery Framework

REGULATION“Polluter

pays”

INCENTIVES“Provider is paid”

WHERE?

WHAT?

WHO? …& who pays?

We now have a shared understanding of what outcomes will come from a better catchment, who

will benefit and importantly who might pay…

Ecosystem Sustainability Meter

Ecosystem Sustainability Meter